Epaulet



Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITE STATES EPAULET' Abner A. Ruben, New York, N. Y.

Application July 7, 1936, Serial No. 89,405

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved epaulet and more particularly to the type of epaulet used by naval ofiicers and referred to in the service as shoulder boards.

One object of the invention is to provide an epaulet of such construction that it will be stiff and not liable to be bent out of shape when worn.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an epaulet of such construction that the fabric covering thereof will be stretched tight and thus prevented from wrinkling and spoiling the appearance of the epaulet.

It is another object of the invention to so form the epaulet that its edges will be smooth and the fabric covering so secured that it can not become detached along its marginal portions and present a frayed appearance after being used for some time.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an epaulet wherein the fabric is adhesively secured against the upper face of a metal plate which in its turn is disposed against a backing sheet of composition and firmly secured thereon by having marginal portions bent over edges of the backing plate. It will thus be seen that .the fabric and the metal plate will be firmly held in place against a backing plate which may be formed with tongues for detachably holding the epaulet in place upon the shoulders of a uniform jacket.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing .a construction which is simple and durable, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efficient in use.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view looking at the upper face of the epaulet;

Figure 2 is a view looking at the under face thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the epaulet along the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line d4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view of the backing plate or sheet before the metal plate carrying the fabric is applied thereto; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view upon an en .largecl scale taken through a marginalportion of the improved epaulet.

This improved epaulet or shoulder board is of the regulation length and width and has'a backving plate or base (I f ormed from a sheet of composition such as fiberboard. Oneend portion of Ithebacking plate is taperedas shown at 2, although it maybe of any configuration desired, andis formed with an opening 3 to receive the shank l of a button 5, thelower end of the shank being headed asshown at 6 after being passed throu h the opening to hold the button in place. Intermediate itsfwidth the backing plate or sheet has tongues 11 struck from it which extend longitudinally of the backing from adjacent opposite ends thereof with their free ends in fac- .ingrelation to each other. Referring to Figures t3. and 4 it will be seen that these tongues are offset downwardly so that they extend inia plane below that of the plate itself and maybe engaged with securing straps of a uniform jacket and theepaulet firmly held in place.

A metal. plate 8 is applied to the. backing sheet and this plate li carries a fabric covering 9 which may be of any type of fabric desired. The outer .pr upper face of the metal platehas glue applied toit} asshown at H] in Figure 6 to adhesively secure the fabric and marginal portions of the fabric are turned under the marginal portions of the plate and glued against the under face thereof as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6. It will thus be seen that the entire upper face of the metal plate will be covered and also edges thereof. The metal plate is of greater dimensions than the backing sheet so that when the metal plate with the fabric applied thereto is disposed against the upper face of the backing sheet, marginal portions of the metal plate will project beyond edges of the backing sheet and these extended portions of the metal plate may be folded downwardly as shown at I I and then inwardly under the backing sheet as shown at 12. During this folding of the extended portions of the metal plate the sheet fabric will be stretched tightly upon the upper face thereof and the marginal portions of the sheet which are turned under the metal plate will be firmly gripped between the portions l2 of the metal plate and the under face of the backing sheet. The fabric covering will thus be held in a stretched condition while the glue is drying and this covering sheet prevented from wrinkling after the glue has dried. The fact that the plate 8 is formed of metal imparts stiffness to the epaulet and prevents it from bending when in use. After marginal portions of the metal plate have been bent under the marginal portions of the backing sheet 2 the button is passed through the fabric and the metal plate and through the opening 3 in the backing sheet. The insignia [3 indicating the branch of service may be applied in the usual manner and also the rank indicating strips or stripes 14.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved apparatus, the application of the same to use will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and eflicient means for carrying out the objects of the invention.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In an epaulet, a backing formed of a stiff composition and having tongues struck therefrom and extending longitudinally of the backing with their free ends facing each other, said tongues being offset downwardlyand adapted toengage mounting members of a. uniform jacket, a metal plate of greater dimensions than said backing to provide projecting marginal portions when the plate is disposed against the backing, and a fabric covering for saidplate, said covering being adheringly secured against the outer face of the plate with marginal portions projecting from edges of the plate and folded downwardly and adheringly secured against the under face of marginal portions of the plate, said plate being disposed against the outer face of said backing and projecting marginal portions of the plate being bent downwardly and folded under marginal portions of the backing to firmly hold the plate upon the backing and maintain the covering tightly stretched and in close contacting engagement with the entire outer face of the plate.

2. In an epaulet, a backing of stiff material having means adapting the backing to be secured upon shoulders of a uniform jacket, a plate of soft bendable metal of greater dimensions than said backing, and a fabric covering for said plate adheringly secured to the upper face of the plate in covering relation to the upper face thereof, said covering having marginal portions projecting from margins of the plate and folded downwardly about edges of the plate and adheringly secured against the under face of the plate, said plate with the covering applied thereto being disposed against the upper face of said backing with marginal portions projecting from margins of the backing and bent downwardly about edges of the backing and upwardly against the under face of the backing to firmly hold the plate in place and maintain the fabric covering of the plate in a tightly stretched condition.

3. In an epaulet, a backing of stiff material, a soft metal plate of greater dimensions than said backing having marginal portions projecting therefrom, and a fabric covering for said plate adheringly secured against the upper face of the plate with marginal portions folded about edges of the plate and adheringly secured against the under face of the plate, said plate with the covering applied thereto being disposed against the upper face of said backing with marginal portions of the plate projecting from margins of the backing and folded about edges of the backing and against the under face of the backing to hold the plate in engagement with the backing and maintain the covering tightly stretched and smooth.

4. In an epaulet, a stiff backing, a plate of bendable material disposed against said backing and having marginal portions projecting from margins of the backing, and a covering for the upper face of said plate having marginal portions folded about margins of the plate and against under faces of the projecting marginal portions of the plate, the projecting marginal portions of the plate together with the folded marginal portions of the covering being folded about margins of the backing and firmly against the under face of the backing to hold the plate and the covering firmly in place against the backing and maintain the covering tightly stretched.

ABNER A. RUBEN. 

